Eternal Cycle: Out of the Blue
by Fiobri
Summary: Cycle 172 055. Mix Cycle, Merlin. A sick little girl found in the woods by a five-year-old Merlin. A blue haired teen suddenly showing up and trailing behind Balinor's every step. A barely-ten swordsman agreeing to train an even younger Prince Arthur. Yeah, this probably changes just about everything.
1. Meetings

**Another part of Eternal Cycle! And yet another Merlin Cycle. I recommend you read the first Cycle 'Massacre Managing' to get an idea of what's going on. **

**If you don't then here's some terminology that might or might not show up in this story: **

_Cyclist: A person who repeatedly gets born into different worlds._

_Cycle: One life for a Cyclist._

_Can Cycle: Cycle with canon story and next to no changes. It doesn't matter what time it starts._

_Trick Cycle: Cycle with story differences, small or big. They have to be noticeable._

_Mix Cycle: Cycle with two or more stories somehow combined. Crossover._

_Trace: The first Cyclist. A girl, most of the time._

_Rina: Trace's other-self/inner-self/first-self._

_Drew: Trace's sibling/brother._

_Frisk: Trace's sibling. Gender neutral._

**That's about all. I think. Enjoy! **

CYCLE 172 055:

Mix Cycle, Merlin.

Merlin and Hunith didn't really fit in. Ealdor was too small for them to not stand out as a mother with a child and no father. An illegitimate child was frowned upon, even without strange happenings always tailing him. They were a little more than outsiders, though everyone tended to ignore it because no matter what they were they were good people.

But because of that Merlin grew up with next to no friends and more bullies.

Then, as a five-year-old, he stumbled into a small girl in the forest. She looked battered and dirty, not that unlike to Merlin himself but worse, and had a white dog supporting her. The greenest eyes he had ever seen looked to him with a tired hope. She reached out, a plea for help, and who was Merlin to refuse as he felt compassion and his magic wanted to do it and more?

_Keep the magic secret, keep the magic secret…_, his mother's mantra rang in his ears even as he reached for the small girl and grabbed her hand.

A wavering smile crossed the little child's lips before she collapsed on her dog who whimpered in fear and concern. Merlin was already hoisting the brown haired girl up, magic swirling and checking if she was okay. His eyes shone with worry. Then he stopped as the dog _changed_ in front of his wide eyes. It turned into a brown deer or- or- Merlin didn't know _what_ but it had horns and a strange pink hat with a white 'x'. And a blue nose. It _had_ to be magic. Or he didn't know what was. It knelt down.

"Get on!", it said and Merlin started, questioning how an animal could talk, "It'll be faster. She has a bad fever. Can you take us to your mother?"

"Y- Yes!", he remembered having a fever. It wasn't fun. Hastily he pushed the girl on the deer thing and climbed behind her shakily.

"Hold on to my horns", his ride instructed, "Where to?"

Merlin gave directions until they were at the edge of the forest where the 'magic is secret' promise got him thinking.

"I'll get Mother!", he told the deer and wiggled down as it complied, shooting a worried glance at the girl.

Hunith was inside and mending clothes when her son barged in and babbled about a dog and a girl and a deer that wasn't and how they needed help and there was a fever. However much she didn't understand she got that someone was ill and needed her meager physician training. Rushing outside with a blanket and Merlin leading she only paused once at the unconscious little girl riding a white dog before leaping into action.

In minutes they got her into Merlin's little bed and a wet cloth on her forehead to wipe the sweat away. The boy himself was peering worriedly at her, hand fisted in her mother's hem.

"Mother? Is she going to be okay?", he asked.

Hunith didn't answer. She _had_ no answer.

Suddenly the white dog sighed before turning into a giant frog with a short white beard and hair. Hunith jumped in fright. Merlin blinked innocently. Then the frog started talking. In a voice belonging to a young human child.

"She has pneumonia", he (probably a he) stated and clarified at the little boy's confused look, "Lung fever. I can cure her if you would lend some paper and ink. Actually, I can do without ink. Just some paper. Please!"

Hunith unfroze and took Merlin a bit further away from the two strangers. She hurriedly took paper from somewhere and gave it to the frog with shaking hands. Both mother and son watched intently as the frog bit his… thumb. The frog had _thumbs_. And hands.

It/He/She then proceeded to draw on paper with blood. Merlin tried to get closer to see what but was stopped by his Mother. It didn't take long before the frog… or dog or deer… deemed whatever he was doing ready and put the thing on the girl. Only Merlin felt the brief pass of power as the drawings on the paper glowed and the girl's breathing got easier. The frog sighed in relief before turning into a miniature of the deer it had been.

"Who- Who are you?", Hunith asked, still trembling a little and keeping a hand on Merlin's shoulder.

The deer smiled gratefully at them, "My name is Rina. A shapeshifter and familiar of Willow here", the apparently she carefully pet the little girl's brown and sweaty locks, "Her family was murdered by bandits a month ago. We've been trying to find safety since… With Uther hunting anything remotely magical that's a bit hard. Willow felt your son's strong magic this way and we came in hopes of help… Don't worry, she's probably the only one who can", the blue nosed deer turned to them with shining eyes, "Thank you for saving us"

With every word Hunith relaxed until she smiled softly at the little Willow who had seeked out her son. Merlin's eyes were wide as he stared at the girl in awe. He couldn't remember a time another child had wanted _his_ help especially. He moved to her bedside and touched her cheek lightly. She leaned into it with a content sigh, shallow breathing having eased out with that maybe-a-spell.

The little boy smiled, "Willow. Don't worry. I'll always help"

And that promise would last for a lifetime and longer. (Depending on point of view)

That day, although quite unknowingly, Hunith and Merlin signed themselves up for a crazy life. Really, a shapeshifting animal with freaky healing powers should've clued them in.

xXXx

Frisk was wandering around in the woods with no corporeal form. They were a spirit of wind, born of magic and tied to freedom and the life of their siblings. They had appeared about a year ago and now went around aimlessly in search of the plot… or their sister and brother. Then they saw a familiar looking man. They just couldn't remember where from.

But that probably meant they found the plot so they followed. He apparently lived in a cave. After a full day of following him they came to a conclusion.

Kind of a boring life. And lonely. Frisk should liven it up a bit.

Taking a form as a blue haired twin ponytailed wind girl she materialized in his cave just as he was waking up. She could switch forms with any random character that could use wind as their powers. Right now her favourite was Wendy from Fairy Tail.

"Hi!", she chirped.

The man was in a fighting stance in an instant. She cocked her head cutely and smiled. Neither of them moved for a while. Finally the man relaxed his stance though his eyes remained narrowed at the possible threat.

"Who are you?", his voice was gruff from disuse and that made it more threatening.

She wasn't threatened at all.

"I'm a wind spirit! You can call me Wendy", she was still smiling, "What's your name?"

He didn't answer. Rude. But understandable.

"Why are you here?", he asked, still very suspicious.

Wendy decided to be theatrical. A drama queen if you will. She gave a long sigh and flopped down into a sitting position, her strange white dress (for this time) fluttering down with her. She disliked having only panties under it so she had light blue leggings. Her pout was downright adorable.

"I was bored. And you seemed interesting", her hopeful eyes looked up.

His eyebrows rose in disbelief. They stared at each other for a long moment before the other just snorted, irritated, and walked away. Wendy stood and started after him.

"Wait!", she shouted and started walking at his side, "I'll go with you"

The man gave her an annoyed frown, "Go away. I don't want you here"

She paused for a moment before running to his side again and refusing to leave. The man tried and tried, again and again to get rid of her but not actually trying to hurt her. It went on for days. In return she helped him around and cleaned up after him, scolded him for not taking care of himself, told jokes and stories and generally was a good little sister or daughter figure. He tried to scare her, make her lose his trail, ignore her and other things before finally snapping and glaring at her hard.

"_Why_ are you here!?", he shouted.

This time Wendy turned to him with all seriousness. She still hadn't figured out his name.

"You looked lonely", she stated making him pause and really _look_ at her for once. Something flashed in his eyes, a pain he had buried deep inside. He looked contemplating before his shoulders finally sagged and he let out a huff of amusement. Seeing resignation to her company, Wendy grinned.

"Well, there was also this fact that you looked familiar and I didn't know where from", her grin vanished with a look of exasperation and matter-of-fact, "And seriously. Your life was so _boring_. I decided to help"

With that he started laughing. A deep laugh from inside his center. He was so incredulous that this _really_ was the reason a wind spirit of all things was following him around. And he had to admit she really managed to make his life more interesting. And better if he were honest. It had been such a long time since he laughed! _Years_ in fact. He had thought he would never laugh again and Wendy had made him do just that in only a week and some days.

He smiled fondly at the strange blue haired girl, "Balinor"

She did that cute head tilt that would have grown men want to squeeze the life out of her for being so _adorable_. Not that he'd ever say that. It'd go to her head.

"My name is Balinor", he said again.

Now her mouth formed an 'oh' of realization and she grinned widely. Their strange father/daughter relationship started from there. And Wendy _would_ get him to do something more interesting than surviving from day to day and hiding. That was a promise.

xXXx

Prince Arthur was good with a sword. For an eight-year-old. Well, it was more like a wooden sword 'cause apparently he wasn't ready to get a _real_ one.

He had snuck out of his lessons again to watch the knights practicing. This time was a bit different, though. Because there was a child _his_ age clashing swords with them. Against _adult knights_. The blade was like nothing he had seen before though he couldn't make it out that well in the heat of battle.

The unthinkable happened. It wasn't the knight, Sir Gildan, that won but the brownish orange haired boy.

Said boy seathed his blade and offered the knight a hand with a grin, "It was a good fight, Sir Knight"

A roaring laughter seared through the group as the boy was patted on the head and congratulated. Sir Gildan seemed to have bruised his pride but was smiling nevertheless. Arthur was still watching from his hiding place with wide eyes.

"You have a knack for the sword. What style are you using? It's nothing I recognize", asked one of them.

He grinned, "It's from Japan. They call it Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu, Flying Heavenly Sword Style", he pulled the blade out a bit, "I'm using a reverse blade. It's not suited for killing, but I protect myself fairly well either way"

Sir Gildan muttered something about nothing being fair as the knights laughed again. Arthur had had enough of hiding and walked out of his hiding place with princely steps. Some would call it arrogant, though the little blond was unaware of that. The other boy noticed his approach first and raised an eyebrow.

Suddenly Arthur was reminded of Gaius and wanted to back off. But that wouldn't be princely at all. So he swallowed silently and pointed to him.

"You!", he demanded, "What is your name?"

The eyebrow rose further, "It is rude to point", he said mildly before answering, "I'm Andrew"

"Where did you learn to fight?"

"Japan", was the unhesitating answer but he didn't elaborate.

There was a long pause as Arthur looked him up and down. He came to a decision.

"I want you to teach me"

Another eyebrow joined the first. It was Andrew's turn to assess the little prince. All the knights were now staring at the two like they had grown two heads. They almost held their breath as they waited for the boy's answer. He shrugged.

"Fine", he agreed, "When will you have time?"

Tension bled out of the eight-year-old's shoulders, "In the afternoons"

Andrew hummed in thought and then grinned lightly.

"I'll come here on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays at four. That okay?"

And that was how Arthur got a teacher. A ten-year-old teacher. From another country. That sometimes snuck him out of Camelot to practice in the woods. Though sometimes the practice got forgotten when they started playing games or some other such. Challenging the other to do feats and testing their endurance. Andrew _always_ won.

It was only when the older boy told him to call him Drew that Arthur realized he'd made a friend.

xXXx

**Another Cycle just sitting on my computer. It _should_ be another multi-chapter one but I won't promise anything spectacular... Hopefully I get more out sometime. **


	2. Bonds

**Second chapter! After a looong looong time. Sigh. With Eternal Cycle, you have to remember that I have multiple Cycles _plus_ my other stories going on at the exact. Same. Time. Which might not have been the best arrangement now that I think about it. **

xXXx

Willow and Merlin laughed as they played some kind of tag around Hunith's table as the woman watched with amusement. The brunette was such a sweet little child now that she'd gotten to know her and Rina. She'd only woken up three days ago but had bounced right back from her sickness, or so the reindeer (she wasn't sure what kind of deer that was) told them.

The girl was four winters old. Hunith was amazed at her strength. Many children would've just broken down.

Merlin caught her new friend in his magic as Willow giggled and finally just stopped resistance to throw herself at the boy in a tackle hug. Rina chuckled as they landed on the floor with an 'oomph'.

Hunith smiled. Truly, she was glad Merlin finally had a friend.

xXXx

"Whoa! That's amazing…", Wendy smiled as she leaned against Balinor's back.

He had been telling about Dragonlords. How they talked and lived around dragons their whole lives. How the dragons would take them to the skies to fly. Awe inspiring, really. Even if she could do that too… Sometimes she took him flying with her, though that meant swapping her wind abilities with someone else… Usually it was Kagura from Inuyasha.

That, though, meant that she switched clothes to Kagura's fan and kimono. Her hairstyle changed accordingly. It had freaked Balinor out the first time she did that.

She'd met him about a year ago.

They were in hiding from Uther's soldiers. Wendy had told the man that she had siblings that she'd like to find some day.

"What are they? Wind spirits like you?", he asked curiously.

She laughed awkwardly, "Ehehe… I have no idea"

Balinor stared at her with a blank look before shaking his head and muttering something about how dragons would be the only magical being he'd ever fully understand. Wendy smiled widely. She'd like to bust Kilgharrah out of jail someday too. The girl said as much. The Dragonlord told her it was impossible. Her smile never vanished. Just took on a fond and 'ah, the innocence of youth' edge. Not that she'd show it to the guy. Not when she aimed to be an annoying little sister-type figure in his life.

No need for him to know that she and her siblings were thousands of times older than his dragon friend.

Hmm. Now that they'd known each other for a while… She _might_ have a chance of convincing him to leave this place with her and helping people. It had been _way_ too long since she'd had adventures of any kind.

_Excitement, here I come!_

xXXx

An eleven-year-old Drew watched Arthur use a move from the basic swordstyle he had beaten into him and nodded in satisfaction. It was a style he'd forged out long ago that let the person using it adapt into most other styles easy as breathing. He didn't need that this life since he had the awesome power to switch between anime characters' styles and swords as he pleased. Teaching it to Arthur, though…

Ha! Things would get _interesting_ in the future if he managed to teach the now somewhat-less-arrogant prince at _least_ six others within the next few years.

He was quick on the uptake. It shouldn't be that hard to teach him. It only helped that while teaching he was essentially giving him lessons on life. The young Arthur wasn't as brainwashed with propaganda as an older prince would be. That didn't mean he didn't want to please the king with his progress.

The prince craved his somewhat distant father's acknowledgement.

Drew understood the need. But he was determined to make sure he got acknowledgement from elsewhere too. The knights were praising the prince, a girl called Gwen and her brother Elyan sometimes visited and trained with them (it took surprisingly little convincing to let a girl learn fighting). Lately Gwen had gotten Morgana, her mistress and friend, along too. It was all done mostly in secret since Drew had said early on that Uther would probably stop them if he knew. A peasant teaching a prince and a king's ward was a bit… not good for him.

The kids shone in the lessons. Arthur was without a doubt the most adaptable and quickest learner but Elyan had a sort of drive that was admirable. Gwen was learning so she could protect herself and her brother and now her friends if needed. Morgana was there to prove girls too could learn swordsmanship. She was around Elyan's level but had a strategic mind that, when cultivated, let her win over Arthur once. Boy was the prince's pride hurt. Though he had learned to laugh most things off.

Drew was proud of them all. They were edging on two years of training and he had already helped Camelot's hiding sorcerers as much as he could for the time being. And Kilgharrah. He couldn't destroy that stupid chain without his siblings though. And around now might be a good idea to look for them.

"Okay, guys!", he called out to stop end another playful sparring session, "That's good for now. Gwen, your footwork has gotten better, though you need to work on your reaction speed. Arthur, that was excellent but… stop abusing the whirlwind move. You need to perfect the other one too. Elyan, you still need to attack though your dodging is exemplary. And Morgana, your fighting style has gotten more graceful but you need to watch that temper. Getting angry will lead way to mistakes. All in all, good job everyone"

They were very good for kids their age. Not that wooden swords did much damage. They were still inexperienced and he didn't want them to have live blades at each other's throats. Not when they couldn't move exactly how they wanted and accidents were much more likely. His students cheered and laughed and nodded seriously at the advice. Heh. They were good kids. That said…

Playtime! He grinned and clapped his hands together.

"Great! Last two to the river get twenty extra pushups!"

He laughed as everyone cried in outrage and shock as he took off. After this he'd tell them that they would only be able to meet up three more times before he went on that planned two month trip. He'd have to finish that training plan and hide some surprises in the forest so they wouldn't get bored when he was gone. Elyan and Arthur would probably want to sneak after him, though only Elyan had a chance of that.

Drew smiled wistfully. He'd love to have them with him… but they'd need to be a little older. And better with a sword. Also more able to keep a secret, especially in Arthur's case.

But he was also excited to find his siblings.

_Hopefully you've had it just as interesting, Trace, Frisk. _

xXXx

Merlin and Willow were seven now. Hunith had all but adopted the girl and Rina by that point. They were a delight to have around… but also headache inducing. She was definitely _not_ a normal girl. Her magic sensing went way beyond anything she'd ever heard of. Hunith hadn't even known it was _possible_. Rina's knowledge of magic and the most complex rune system she'd _ever_ had the pleasure of witnessing was awe inspiring and terrifying. As was her shapeshifting.

That didn't count the however many times she and Merlin had gone to play in the forest to come back with the most ridiculous adventures. They'd give her a heart attack one if these times!

It had been close when little Will reported they'd gotten caught by a slavery ring. Almost _purposefully._ To get all the slaves out. And they _succeeded_. Without giving away that they knew magic. Yes, Willow's magic wasn't nearly as strong as Merlin's but she still was a witch. A pretty powerful one at that. Her son was getting more and more control too what with Rina being an old magical being and giving them all lessons.

Mostly in concealing magical abilities. They had come in _very_ useful some months ago when Cenred's soldiers had marched through town…

Her kids were trouble magnets. She still wouldn't have them any other way.

"Um… Mother?", Willow started one day, "I… I have magic siblings out there"

Hunith's brow furrowed, "Yes…?", the girl hadn't really _said_ so but she'd alluded to that.

She fidgeted, shifting from foot to foot in front of her and Merlin's excited blue eyes. More magical siblings would be amazing, in his opinion.

"So. I'd like to find them. And- And Balinor too. I've gotten the feeling that they're on the move and one of them is with Father", she got out slowly, peeking up at her from under her fringe, "Could we move out? Ealdor's… getting dangerous. For us, I mean"

Hunith paled. She'd learned early on that Willow's intuition was spot on. If their village was 'getting dangerous' it was most certain that at least one of them would be found out. She immediately started listing their meager belongings and how far the next city would be and how to live in a forest with one very independent little girl, a childish but mature (she didn't understand Rina sometimes) familiar, and her excitable but good hearted son who followed his sister's lead.

"How long?", she asked Willow urgently.

"…Two weeks"

That wasn't as short a time as it could be. It wasn't the longest time to give a natural reason for selling their little home and leaving either. They could, of course, come up with something. Rina was great at wordplay so she could give her some help with that. Those sealing parchments were going to get a lot of use though. She had been _so_ surprised when Merlin and Willow had made their table disappear into one though.

It was hard not to be proud of those two little trouble magnets.

"Mother", Willow said again before she could go too far into try-not-to-panic mode, "There's a druid camp coming closer every day"

Merlin gasped in delight and his wide eyes turned to his mother, "Can we go there? Please, please, please!"

He had been very, very eager to go live within one after accidentally stumbling into them with Will and Rina a year ago. They had helped with some spiritual magic mess of a forest dryad and the protection of the camp. It had apparently been very nice to see magic used _openly_ and as a _normal thing_. Hunith smiled in exasperation. Her little reckless angels. Honestly, she'd be even more worried if Rina couldn't keep them in line and Willow wasn't so mature. With Merlin closely following in her footsteps.

Seriously, Merlin was almost as good at making judgement calls than Will now.

But… druid camp. It did sound nice. And much safer than a forest with just three _small_ magic users as protection. Her shoulders slumped in relief as she warmed up to the option.

"I… I think we can. If they let us in", she told her children.

They whooped in excitement and happiness and rushed up to hug her. Rina, in her dog form, barked in agreement. It would be hard to leave Ealdor behind but if it kept her family safe she would do it. And… And Balinor. Her heart swelled. He didn't know he had a son, or an adopted daughter.

She _missed_ him.

"Don't worry, Mom", Willow's muffled words came from her hem, "If my sibling's with him he'll have been fine. And we will _definitely_ find them. And my brother will show up at some point"

The woman let out a startled laugh and she petted her children's heads.

"Let's go to the druid camp and then find your father. Magic knows I wouldn't be able to stop you"

Merlin, the sweet child, looked up at her with a bright, bright smile.

"We'll all be fine, Mother. We have each other, after all"

And Hunith couldn't really disagree with that. She looked up at Rina who had come to but her head (she was a girl even though all her forms were _male_) against her leg in encouragement. The woman sighed, content.

"What am I going to do with you?", she wondered fondly.

Her children only grinned up at her and Willow cheekily answered, "Love us lots"

Hunith laughed, "Yes, yes. I love you lots"

"We love you too!", the kids chorused and how had she gotten such wonderful children.

Now to keep them safe until they could care for themselves. Better than now that is.

xXXx

**Yay! Family/Friend bonding everywhere! Hopefully you guys liked it now that I've fleshed the things out a bit more. Timeline might be very strange here though. **


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